Magic's Adventures
by Wyrenfire
Summary: This is a collection of oneshots and archs that I will be writing. I need requests for inspiration, so please review to submit an idea. There will be no slash. T because I am paranoid.
1. Chapter 1

**1: A loyal ride**

 **Hi, this is new series of oneshots or more that I am starting. I am stuck for ideas and will take requests, so tell me them in the review section. I won't be doing romance, slash or pairings.**

 **I will update as much as possible, but if I get distracted, just tell me to hurry up and update.**

 **I don't own Merlin, the BBC has that honour.**

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 **Merlin**

'Why is it always on hunting trips that the prat was attacked the most?' Merlin thought as he struggled to stop his horse from bolting as bandits ran to meet the swords of the knights of the roundtable. As the knights slashed at the attackers, Merlin secretly caused bandits to loss their weapons at oddly lucky moments.

They had been about to set off from their camp, where they had been sleeping last night. Suddenly the bandits had attack before they had mounted, surprising even Merlin, who could normally tell when an attack was coming.

One bandit had seen Merlin still trying to calm his horse and was running over to have an seemingly easy kill of a servant. Merlin's horse rose on to its hind legs and kicked at the air wildly, panicked by the loud noises and smell of blood.

Merlin quickly caused the bandit to trip and his sword to fly into a nearby tree. The knights were driving off the last of the attack, and Merlin felt a wave of relief at seeing King Arthur, alive and uninjured, at the front of the attack.

By now the horse had calmed. Merlin had been given the gedling by Arthur when he first became his manservent. Over time they had developed a strong bond. Animals normally liked and trusted Merlin, because of this magic. The horse was named Cernunn, and was black as ink.

While Merlin was watching the bandit retreat, he didn't see the bandit from before rise from the ground and grab a spear one of the knights had dropped. Holding the spear in shaking hands, from anger not fear, he used the last of his strength to stab Merlin's horse in the side. Then the bandit let go of the weapon and ran into the forest.

The horse bucked in panic and pain, causing an unprepared Merlin to let go of the reins. As the horse kicked madly, Merlin tried to grab the lose reins and get it under control.

Suddenly one of the horse's hooves struck Merlin on the back of the head and he fell to the ground as darkness covered his vision.

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When Merlin awoke, the first thing he was aware of was a pounding ache in his head, like someone dancing on it, with shoes made of nails. He shot up into a sitting position, and instantly regretted it. The world tilted and spun, everything was blurred or the wrong colour.

Merlin hissed in pain as he touched the back of his head. As he looked at his hand, he saw that his fingers were covered in blood. _Great, I have a head wound._ Then he noticed that Arthur and the knights hadn't return.

Panicking, Merlin tried to stand. He succeeded for 2 seconds, then his brain did a handstand and he fell to the floor. As he lay trying not to die from vertigo, he hear the sound of hoof beats.

He looked up and saw Cernunn standing over him. The horse was dying, Merlin could feel his lifeforce fading. This brought tears to his eyes. The horse lay down next to him, nudging Merlin's arm. Merlin led his head against Cernunn's neck, feeling each pained breath his loyal friend took.

Merlin began feeling lightheaded from pain and blood loss, but he still felt the familiar, sharp pain of grief. He shivered in the cold wind, and Cernunn moved closer to him, keeping him warm. Suddenly everything became too much, the dam burst. Merlin lay there, by his dying horse, and cried. He cried for Cernunn, for Will, for Freya, for Balinor and for the old, kind Morgana.

As he cried, Cernunn took his last breath, freed from the prison of pain that had been the last moments of his life. Merlin finally gave into his body's need, and fell unconscious.

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 **Arthur**

Arthur had been having a horrible day. First his fool of a manservent had woken him up in the most annoying way possible, then bandits had attacked their camp. The battle had been quick and he and his knights had chased the bandits back to their camp, were they had then destroyed it.

As his knights were celebrating their victory, Arthur noticed that Merlin was no where to been seen. Clearly he wasn't the only one who noticed his absence, as Gwaine suddenly asked, " has anyone seen Merlin?"

This statement was met by silence, and the knights looked around frantically for the missing member of their party. Merlin had become like a younger brother to the knights of the round table, and they had become very protective of him. Secretly, Arthur felt the same about Merlin, he was like his funny, strangely wise, younger brother.

"He must be back at the campsite." Elyen said, and all the knights began running back along the path the had come.

When they arrived, the scene caused Arthur's heart to skip a beat, though he would deny that if anyone asked. Merlin was laying next to his horse, that was clearly dead. Blood was drying on the back of Merlin's head. He was unconscious, with tear tracks running down his face. _What a girl, crying over a horse._ But inside Arthur didn't blame him. It was clear these last few weeks Merlin had been having a hard time, he didn't smile as much, he insulted him less and when he thought Arthur wasn't looking, his mask would fall and Arthur would see the underlying sadness in his face.

"He appears to have been struck by the horse, from the look of this wound." Sir Leon reported from where he had been checking over Merlin.

"Gather up the remaining horses, we need to get him home to Gaius, he need medical treatment." Arthur commanded.

The ride back was fast, with Merlin being carried in turn by the knights. When they arrived Arthur took him quickly to Gaius' chambers. Gaius treated Merlin, saying that the head wound looked worse than it was and he should recover in a few days.

When Merlin recovered, Arthur took him out to the stables. In the stables, in the pen that Cernunn used to stay in, was a young brown gedling.

"He's yours, you need a new horse and he has just finished being trained, but you need to name him still." Arthur told Merlin as he greeted the horse.

"Thanks Arthur, I'm going to call him Cernunnos." Merlin said, stroking the horse on its nose.

"You're such a _girl_ , Merlin."

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 **AN:** **ok how was that? I have no beta so their may be mistakes. Cernunnos is the Celtic god of animals, so I thought it would be a great name for a horse. This was inspired by my love of animal. I wish Merlin had had more of a relationships with the animals in the TV show and I have a headcanon that animals trust him more than other human.**

 **Please review and leave requests**

 **Bye**

 **Wyrenfire**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: What it's like**

 **Ok, I didn't know if I was going to continue with this set of oneshots, but someone reviewed with a idea and I fell for it. So here it is, I hope it's not OOC.**

 **I own nothing except the plot.**

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The sound of swords striking metal filled the training ground. Knights were scattered around the area, sparring in pairs or groups. Off to one side, a group of the most loyal and brave knights in the realm were gathered around the once and future king as he used his servant as a training dummy.

"Shoulder, side, left. Come on _Mer_ lin, wake up." Called the king Prat.

"Hey, I was the one to have to get you up this morning!" Exclaimed Merlin from under the shield he held above his head. They had been out here for three hours, and the last two had been spent watching Arthur and Merlin spar. Though Merlin wasn't fighting back physically, he used his words to counterattack the king's blows. Sadly this only increase Arthur's anger, making the blows harder and faster.

After a few more seconds, Merlin fell onto his back. The knights cheer.

"Well done Merlin, you lasted much longer than usual!" Elyen congratulated, slapping him on the back.

"Ok knights, next activity. Sir Leon vs Sir Elyen." Arthur instructed, walking over to Merlin.

"Next time, try to be at least competent with self defence. It's like sparring a chicken when you fight." Arthur mocked.

Merlin didn't mind, it meant Arthur was more likely to spar one of the knights if Merlin was no challenge.

Merlin and the knights watched as Leon disarmed Elyen with a very skilful move, earning cheers from the watchers.

"My dad taught me that move, best move he knew!" Leon replied when asked where he learnt it.

"Well my old man taught me how to make the swords we use, that's a much better skill!" Exclaimed Elyen, smarting from his defeat.

"Hey, my father, and my father's father, worked in mines to get the iron in your swords, that's even more impressive!" Percival piped up, joining the competition.

"Hey, Gwaine, what'd your old man?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah, did he teach you how to win a tavern fight, or how to pick up women?" Elyen joked.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, I'm going to take a break." Gwaine replied, avoiding the question.

The other knights and the king went back to training, but Merlin had seen something in Gwaine's eyes, a look he sometimes adopted himself. The look of hiding mental anguish. He needed to follow him. Merlin ran after him, eventually catching up to him in the woods outside Camelot. He was sat on a fallen log. Gwaine must have heard him following, as he looked back at him and didn't seem surprised.

"Why did you leave the training, you normally love it?" Merlin asked innocently, but he felt he knew the reason.

"I don't know, I got bored of playing soldiers."

Merlin looked him in the eye. "You can tell me, I wouldn't tell anyone else." Merlin promised.

It was like a mask had fallen from his face. Gwaine's head fell into his hands, his shoulders dropped and he let out a long sigh.

"It's just that the other knights don't understand. I can't blame them, they don't know. But it hurt, hearing all the things their fathers taught them, knowing my father never had the chance to pass any skills to me. They don't know what it's like!" After his rant, Gwaine suddenly raised his head and stared straight at Merlin. His eyes had a crazed, cloudy look to them.

Merlin could tell Gwaine was drunk, he was never normally this emotional. He needed a friend right now, and Merlin was willing to comfort him.

"I understand, you could've talked to me." Merlin finally said after a few minutes.

"I know, you're the only one that does." Gwaine replied, standing up and walking over to Merlin. "I'm just being stupid, lets go back."

"No Gwaine, if you want to talk about this, we can do it now." Merlin offered, "Anyway, if I go back now, Arthur will load me with chores."

Both men sat back down on the log, looking out into the forest for a moment.

"What do you wish you dad had taught you?" Merlin asked, wanting to start the conversion.

"Mostly, just how to live, how to deal with life's problems. What he wanted me to do, stay with my family, or go it alone?" Gwaine admitted, "I just with he had been there, alive!"

"What about you?" Gwaine asked, looking over at his friend, his first friend.

"Me, same as you I guess, there were so many things he could've taught me, but I know that he is with me, inside."

"I guess we will just have to carve our own path in life, since are fathers couldn't pass theirs on." Gwaine said to his friend.

Both of them sat, watching the sun set on the forest. Their thought with their fathers, who never knew them, hoping they were proud.

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 **AN:** **Ok this probably sucks, I am sorry. I have no experience of living with out a dad so I don't know what it is like. If I offended you, I'm so sorry. This was written late at night, proving to me that I should never do this again.**

 **I don't know if anyone still wants me to continue with this. If you do I need ideas, please. My muse is dead and I can't find a replacement for it!**

 **Please review and follow**

 **Bye**

 **Wyrenfire**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

 **I don't know why I am continuing with this group of one shots, only one person reviews. But I find that even one review is enough to inspire me, so thank you Nettle29, for your continued support and ideas.**

 **I own nothing except the plot and my OCs**

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If you asked Merlin to describe Mordred in one word, he would say _Distraction._ Not just because he was constantly taking up space in his mind, but also because he seemed to have a mission to stop Merlin from focusing on his job, be it saving Arthur and restoring magic, or his day to day job as a manservent. He always tried to talk to Merlin when he was alone in the armoury, cleaning the Prat's equipment, after training, as if Merlin would be his friend if he bugged him enough.

And that was exactly what he was doing now, stood, like always, by the door, trying to start a conversation with him. He talked about normal topics at first, the weather, the knights, patrols he had been on. Then his feeble attempt at socialising with the warlock would lead him to topics that should be kept under lock and key, magic, spells, destiny. Merlin responded with one word answers, not in the mood to start a magic bonding club with the only other sorcerer (apart from Gaius) in Camelot.

Yet still Mordred prattled on, jumping from one topic to another. Merlin wondered if this was how Arthur felt when he talked to him in the mornings. If so, Merlin would do it more often, it was clearly very irritating.

"What do you want Mordred?" Merlin asked, placing the armour he had been cleaning on the wood floor.

"What? I just want talk, we can be friends. I just don't understand why you are so afraid of me?" Mordred responded innocently, shifting from foot to foot nervously.

Merlin was tempted, really tempted, to just lie. To say that he had some normal, justified reason for pushing the young knight away. Merlin was sure, if not for the prophecy, he would've been friends with Mordred. So he decided to tell the truth.

"I'm not afraid of you, I'm afraid of what you will become." Saying it out loud made it sound so silly, so much like Uther, when he killed children because they may become evil sorcerers. That thought scared Merlin more than anything, except Arthur dying.

"That's not at all far, I don't know what I might become, I could prove you wrong!" Mordred complained.

"I don't know if I can trust you." Merlin retorted simply.

"Then try, you won't know unless you try. Please, I want to be your friend." Mordred sounded so wise and childish in the same sentence that Merlin was tempted to laugh. But instead, he decided to ignore the dragon for once, and be Mordred's. Not straight away, but he would give him the chance.

"Ok, prove to me that trusting you isn't a mistake. I will give you this chance, no more."

"Thank you, I won't let you down."

 **AN:** **Wow that was short, sorry about that, life has dictated me, and I have been writing other fics.**

 **Please review and follow**

 **Bye**

 **Wyrenfire**


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